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“In the entire world there are only a few sounds that bring joy to all but the most jaded. One is the murmur of a kitten purring. Another is the thwack of a well-pitched baseball hitting a perfectly swung bat. And the third is the pop of a cork being pulled from a bottle of wine.” —George Taber

augustridge2

This is John the Winemaker. While waiting for this to go live I just whupped my in-laws in hearts! Went well with the Sangiovese... ...the Nebbiolo we had with steak Milanese for dinner. It's tough to be us! Let me know your questions and I will do my best to answer them!

ThunderThighs

augustridge2 wrote:This is John the Winemaker. While waiting for this to go live I just whupped my in-laws in hearts! Went well with the Sangiovese... ...the Nebbiolo we had with steak Milanese for dinner. It's tough to be us! Let me know your questions and I will do my best to answer them!

Welcome! Glad you could join us. Fridays nights can be a bit slow sometimes. Seems some people have lives. Hopefully you can check in some tomorrow as well.

cortot20

We have a repeat winery here. Did anyone try the 06' Sangiovese from the last offer........,what did you think? I love food friendly wines as that is when I primarily have a drink is with dinner.
Edit:
I see the notes in the last offer forum, any others?

Want to provide tasting notes to the W.W. community? PM me for more info.

deecue

This is a perfect example of where the whole "we were always paying tax" kind of mentality falls apart. Sounds like a great offering from a notable winemaker but I the deal isn't there to jump on imho (sorry John, both sound like nice wines)..

What I'm seeing here is $4 more than the last offer for a year younger set, plus $5 more for taxes, plus $5 per order shipping. It just doesn't add up, so I've got to pass..

ddeuddeg

We just had an opportunity to taste the Nebbiolo earlier this week. It was a pale red color, lighter than most Pinots, but not faded-looking. I poured a sample taste before decanting, and got a nice nose of dark sweet cherries, but a fair bit of heat. After a half hour of decanting, while we finished getting dinner ready, the heat on the nose was gone, but still present on the palate. Not bad, but noticeable. I could taste the cherries, and something a bit darker, like stewed prunes. It was an excellent accompaniment for the pappardelle and Bolognese sauce. An hour later, with our favorite spinach and pine nut salad topped with roasted garlic and olive oil, the wine was still drinking nicely, and now I picked up a note of leather on the palate, along with the dark fruits. It really held up nicely over a couple of hours in the decanter. I'm thinking this will do well with a bit more time in the bottle. At this price point, it's a good buy.

"Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you've got a bottle of Champagne in the fridge". - Hester Browne

moondigger

deecue wrote:This is a perfect example of where the whole "we were always paying tax" kind of mentality falls apart. Sounds like a great offering from a notable winemaker but I the deal isn't there to jump on imho (sorry John, both sound like nice wines)..

What I'm seeing here is $4 more than the last offer for a year younger set, plus $5 more for taxes, plus $5 per order shipping. It just doesn't add up, so I've got to pass..

It's always your choice as to whether to buy or pass, so no quibble there. But you really haven't made a case for the idea that we weren't previously paying tax. When the comparisons have been made to exactly the same wine offer from prior to Feb 22 (same wineries, varietals, vintages, quantities), the claim has been borne out repeatedly. This offer is NOT the same as the previous offer--half the bottles are a different varietal and all four are a different vintage. So to say it invalidates the claim that the tax was previously rolled in is bogus. There are too many confounding factors that queer the equation.

You don't think the current offer is worthwhile, but it isn't clear whether you would think the same thing had there not been a previous offer from the same winery for you to compare this one with. Wines are priced largely according to predicted demand. I've seen a pretty consistent price bump placed on California wines from the 2007 vintage vs. 2006, due to 2007 being touted as a superior vintage overall. Justified or not, that's the public perception.

This may not be as good a "deal" as the previous offer, but the tax has little or nothing to do with it IMO.

bahwm

ddeuddeg & I tasted this wine earlier in the week. I am not going to repeat everything that he said because that would be boring! I found the color to be a pale red, almost brick-like but not as in a wine that was fading. We found a lot of tartrates around the top of the cork and this had us a little worried, but we figured that the wine had not been filtered. John, could you explain this for us? We just wiped them out and poured some in a glass and did our initial taste, then, poured the wine into a decanter for closer to 45 minutes.

I would say that this is a definite food wine. While we found some it to have a pleasant nose of some dark cherries, there was quite a bit of heat. After the decant, there was no more heat on the nose, but still noticeable on the palate without food, however nice notes of stewed fruits were evident. This is a nice wine for this price point.

May our love be like good wine, grow stronger as it grows older. ~ Old English Toast

HitAnyKey42

I had recently brought a bottle of the '07 Sangiovese to my parents for spaghetti night dinner. I opened the bottle a bit before dinner was starting to be prepared, but didn't have a chance to decant it. I probably should have taken out the Vinturi.
The color in the glass was strawberry red when held up to the light, but that's as far as this wine goes with regard to "lightness". On the nose was the typical black pepper spice I personally tend to get in many wines, but there was also dark plum and black raspberry. On the initial palate it brings mid-strong tannins, but it finishes very smooth and has a balanced acidity. Getting dark fruits, and leather and tobacco.
It is much dryer and hearty than most California Sangio's I've had, which I like about this wine. It's a hearty wine that needs meat (the meat I had was the sausage in the sauce) due to it's nice amount of tannic bite. And it gets more earthy on the nose (and palate) after being in the glass for awhile.
The alcoholic bite really hits hard on this one though, so don't expect to drink as many glasses as you typically might.

From the parents:
Mom - Initial nose of blueberries. Strong mouthwash alcohol on the swish, but finishes nicely. Almost too alcoholic, but she did like the flavors.

Dad - He gets the tannic bite more on the finish than on the front of the palate (mom & I were the reverse) and it is too much bite for him. He did finish his glass though, so he did somewhat like it.

Oh, and quote of the evening from mom after dinner... "The empty grass smells like glass". Apparently the alcohol was starting to get to her.

otolith

I happened across a bottle of the 2007 August Ridge Nebbiolo, and blindly tasted this last night.

On initial pop and pour from cellar temp (56) and sitting in the glass for 15 minutes:
Pale red, orange color, very light, clear. I must admit this really worried me. I also immediately went to "Italian Red," and started wondering if this would be from California or Italy.

Nose: bright fruit, sorry cherry/raspberry, slight petrol/rubber on extra swirling, maybe some cedar as well. Long legs in the glass.

Palate: bright, acidic, fresh with tart/sour cherry, cedar. Mildly astringent tannins, light-medium body, medium finish. I don't taste alcohol, and feel that this is a nicely balanced wine. Pleasantly surprised as I didn't have high hopes for it when I first poured it into the glass.

We were eating Black Sheep Pizza with this, and it paired perfectly. Their pizza sauce is lighter, more acidic, and not a big, bold sauce. They really went well with one another.

1.5 hrs later:Nose is similar, but has lost some of the brightness/freshness. Doesn't seem as tart. Similar nose of cherry/raspberry and cedar, maybe a little leather.

Palate is similar, the fruit is present, but not as tart as prior. Nicely balanced and integrated tannins, some spiciness. Lighter body with moderate finish.

About 3 hours later:

Nose has changed quite a bit. It is more muted, the fruit is in the background, but there are more spicy, pepper, and leather notes that lead the way.

Palate has also similarly changed. Tannins seem more astringent to me. Fruits have given way to pepper, leather, cedar. Similar mouth feel and finish. Seems to be tiring out a little.

Overall, I was left feeling that this is drinking well right now, and should drink well this summer and over the next 1-2 years (would be curious what the winemaker thinks of this).

At this point, I did the reveal, and was glad to see a Nebbiolo. I must admit that I am not a huge fan of Italian grape varieties that are grown in the US (exception being Vino Noceto), so was pleasantly surprised that I liked this. Reading the back of the bottle, I see they recommend pairing with grilled salmon or pork. I could see salmon on PnP, and pork ribs after decanting, as long as the ribs aren't smothered in bbq sauce, as I think that would overpower the wine.

SWMBO and the GI (German Intern) living with us both liked it. I'll see if I can get them to post their notes as well. Although I believe they both liked it earlier in the life cycle than later.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."
--John Muir

sphervey

When I tasted the 07 August Ridge Sangiovese I found it quite enjoyable and a great food wine. I originally was going to have it with Italian food (total cliche) but ended up pairing it with spicy pork tenderloin burritos. (yes, my own recipe!) It stood up beautifully and I recommend it as a great food wine.

It poured as a garnet color into the glass and had a pleasant, fruity aroma. The taste was cherry, plum, herbs with a bit of oak. I found it to be a smooth drinking wine. We did not decant or vinturi it and I don't believe it needs it unless you want to smooth out the 15% alcohol a bit. My spouse, the Cabernet disliker, merely said: "It's good, I like it." That is a huge recommendation right there. The wine was dry with medium acidity and had a nice balance.

I suspect it has cabernet blended in due to the color but can't find the exact amount in the specs either here or on the winery website.

noslensj

bahwm wrote:ddeuddeg & I tasted this wine earlier in the week. I am not going to repeat everything that he said because that would be boring! I found the color to be a pale red, almost brick-like but not as in a wine that was fading. We found a lot of tartrates around the top of the cork and this had us a little worried, but we figured that the wine had not been filtered. John, could you explain this for us?

Tartaric acid may be most immediately recognizable to wine drinkers as the source of "wine diamonds", the small potassium bitartrate crystals that sometimes form spontaneously on the cork. These "tartrates" are harmless, despite sometimes being mistaken for broken glass, and are prevented in many wines through cold stabilization. The tartrates that remain on the inside of aging barrels were at one time a major industrial source of potassium bitartrate.

However, tartaric acid plays an important role chemically, lowering the pH of fermenting "must" to a level where many undesirable spoilage bacteria cannot live, and acting as a preservative after fermentation. In the mouth, tartaric acid provides some of the tartness in the wine, although citric and malic acids also play a role.

There is another interesting correlation between wine stones and the quality of a wine: the longer the grapes hang on the vine (familiarly called "hang time"), the more wine acid will accumulate in the grape, and it is this wine acid which is the building block of wine diamonds. Furthermore, the more time the wine is given to ferment, the less wine diamonds will fall out during fermentation, but the more they will instead build up later in the bottle.

In other words, wine diamonds are an indicator that the grapes ripened for a long time, and that the winemaker fermented the wine slowly and with great care. Both are important precursors to crafting high quality wines.

liviarv

loveladyelectric wrote:Do you have a tasting room in Paso? I'm making a trip tomorrow. If you're open, I'll come by.

Livi August Ridge Tasting Room manager here!! We will be open today from 11-4. (We are having a special blending party so we are closing earlier then our normal 5.) I would love to meet you loveladyelectric and pour you through the wines. Our address is 8790 E. Highway 41, Creston but if you are using a GPS it often shows at Templeton. From 101 exit Highway 41 and head east for 10 miles

augustridge2

loveladyelectric wrote:Do you have a tasting room in Paso? I'm making a trip tomorrow. If you're open, I'll come by.

We do. We are at 8790 Highway 41 right near the 229 turn off to Creston. 12 southeast from Paso. Come on out and see us then stop at the other wineres, olive farm on the Creston Wine Trail. Hours 11 - 5. Hope to see you there!

liviarv

bahwm wrote:ddeuddeg & I tasted this wine earlier in the week. I am not going to repeat everything that he said because that would be boring! I found the color to be a pale red, almost brick-like but not as in a wine that was fading. We found a lot of tartrates around the top of the cork and this had us a little worried, but we figured that the wine had not been filtered. John, could you explain this for us? We just wiped them out and poured some in a glass and did our initial taste, then, poured the wine into a decanter for closer to 45 minutes.

I would say that this is a definite food wine. While we found some it to have a pleasant nose of some dark cherries, there was quite a bit of heat. After the decant, there was no more heat on the nose, but still noticeable on the palate without food, however nice notes of stewed fruits were evident. This is a nice wine for this price point.

I can clear this up for you! Our wines are not filtered for clarity but they are racked at least twice to remove any large chunks or skins that slipped through during crush. What your seeing on the top of the cork is indeed tartaric acid that has settled there as we store our case goods upside down (another form of racking).

As to your color concern: Nebbiolo by nature is light in color and high in tannin. The earthy subtleness of the wine matches its color perfectly (if I do say so myself). So what you saw upon tasting was actually just the way the wine has looked and has always looked really. We also only lay the wine on the skins for 7-10 days after it is crushed and this causes their light color as well. They say you buy a good Barolo for your grandkids and the wine is actually designed to lay down as long as you have the patience for

augustridge2

bahwm wrote:ddeuddeg & I tasted this wine earlier in the week. I am not going to repeat everything that he said because that would be boring! I found the color to be a pale red, almost brick-like but not as in a wine that was fading. We found a lot of tartrates around the top of the cork and this had us a little worried, but we figured that the wine had not been filtered. John, could you explain this for us? We just wiped them out and poured some in a glass and did our initial taste, then, poured the wine into a decanter for closer to 45 minutes.

I would say that this is a definite food wine. While we found some it to have a pleasant nose of some dark cherries, there was quite a bit of heat. After the decant, there was no more heat on the nose, but still noticeable on the palate without food, however nice notes of stewed fruits were evident. This is a nice wine for this price point.

You and a few of the other posters nailed the August Ridge style. We work to build wines that stress the mid palate with spice and some fruit but avoid the heavy forward fruit that California growing conditions can bring. I keep the acid levels up high to pair with the tannins -- one of the key elements of making a wine food friendly is its ability to clear one's palate and this is what does it. It is also what causes the tartrate crystals to form as the acid comes out of solution. As you guessed the wines are not filtered; they are racked twice during their nearly 2 years in the barrel and that is it for clarification. Then store the wine neck down and any crystals or particulates end up on the cork. Wipe them off and drink it; better yet decant 30 minutes before drinking (the Sangiovese too). 'cent anni!

augustridge2

otolith wrote:I happened across a bottle of the 2007 August Ridge Nebbiolo, and blindly tasted this last night.

On initial pop and pour from cellar temp (56) and sitting in the glass for 15 minutes:
Pale red, orange color, very light, clear. I must admit this really worried me. I also immediately went to "Italian Red," and started wondering if this would be from California or Italy.

Nose: bright fruit, sorry cherry/raspberry, slight petrol/rubber on extra swirling, maybe some cedar as well. Long legs in the glass.

Palate: bright, acidic, fresh with tart/sour cherry, cedar. Mildly astringent tannins, light-medium body, medium finish. I don't taste alcohol, and feel that this is a nicely balanced wine. Pleasantly surprised as I didn't have high hopes for it when I first poured it into the glass.

We were eating Black Sheep Pizza with this, and it paired perfectly. Their pizza sauce is lighter, more acidic, and not a big, bold sauce. They really went well with one another.

1.5 hrs later:Nose is similar, but has lost some of the brightness/freshness. Doesn't seem as tart. Similar nose of cherry/raspberry and cedar, maybe a little leather.

Palate is similar, the fruit is present, but not as tart as prior. Nicely balanced and integrated tannins, some spiciness. Lighter body with moderate finish.

About 3 hours later:

Nose has changed quite a bit. It is more muted, the fruit is in the background, but there are more spicy, pepper, and leather notes that lead the way.

Palate has also similarly changed. Tannins seem more astringent to me. Fruits have given way to pepper, leather, cedar. Similar mouth feel and finish. Seems to be tiring out a little.

Overall, I was left feeling that this is drinking well right now, and should drink well this summer and over the next 1-2 years (would be curious what the winemaker thinks of this).

At this point, I did the reveal, and was glad to see a Nebbiolo. I must admit that I am not a huge fan of Italian grape varieties that are grown in the US (exception being Vino Noceto), so was pleasantly surprised that I liked this. Reading the back of the bottle, I see they recommend pairing with grilled salmon or pork. I could see salmon on PnP, and pork ribs after decanting, as long as the ribs aren't smothered in bbq sauce, as I think that would overpower the wine.

SWMBO and the GI (German Intern) living with us both liked it. I'll see if I can get them to post their notes as well. Although I believe they both liked it earlier in the life cycle than later.

Impressed by this reviewer's nailing the characteristics of a nebbiolo and calling it from a blind tasting -- even to the point of associating it more with Italy than California. Our goal is to blend the rich, fruit elements that can be brought out in a California vineyard with the austere, earthyness of the better Italian wines. My 07 Nebbiolo tends more towards Italy than California and reminds me very much of wines from the Langhe region. Definitely a food wine -- even if just a handful of roasted almonds. But then I think that good food becomes better food and good wine becomes better wine when they are put together.

augustridge2

augustridge2 wrote:We do. We are at 8790 Highway 41 right near the 229 turn off to Creston. 12 southeast from Paso. Come on out and see us then stop at the other wineres, olive farm on the Creston Wine Trail. Hours 11 - 5. Hope to see you there!

Oops! I see that Livi (ARV Tasting Room Manager) got the times right. We are normally open 'til five but closing at four today. Tonight we are doing a blending party/competition: seven couples, four wines, five course for dinner. One of our best events and like all it is focused on the food, wine and good company all together again! Thanks for catching that Livi! John (just the winemaker, not the scheduler...)

otolith

augustridge2 wrote:Impressed by this reviewer's nailing the characteristics of a nebbiolo and calling it from a blind tasting -- even to the point of associating it more with Italy than California. Our goal is to blend the rich, fruit elements that can be brought out in a California vineyard with the austere, earthyness of the better Italian wines. My 07 Nebbiolo tends more towards Italy than California and reminds me very much of wines from the Langhe region. Definitely a food wine -- even if just a handful of roasted almonds. But then I think that good food becomes better food and good wine becomes better wine when they are put together.

Thanks!

I'm still trying to figure out Italy, when it comes to wine. I kind of view nebbiolo as a similar "feel" to a pinot, except the nebbiolo seems to have more of a tannic backbone.

We really liked the wine with the food we served last night. They definitely enhanced each other, and I definitely feel this is a wine best served with food, rather than alone.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."
--John Muir

augustridge2

I'm still trying to figure out Italy, when it comes to wine. I kind of view nebbiolo as a similar "feel" to a pinot, except the nebbiolo seems to have more of a tannic backbone.

We really liked the wine with the food we served last night. They definitely enhanced each other, and I definitely feel this is a wine best served with food, rather than alone.

The nebbiolo / pinot noir comparison is a good one. They both look light but have a surprisingly strong structure. They also have a check off list of many different delicate flavors -- fruit to spice to floral to earthy to woody -- that seem to go on forever. Love 'em both. John, ARV Winemaker

kylemittskus

deecue wrote:This is a perfect example of where the whole "we were always paying tax" kind of mentality falls apart. Sounds like a great offering from a notable winemaker but I the deal isn't there to jump on imho (sorry John, both sound like nice wines)..

What I'm seeing here is $4 more than the last offer for a year younger set, plus $5 more for taxes, plus $5 per order shipping. It just doesn't add up, so I've got to pass..

Aside from the erroneous logic in your argument moondigger pointed out, why is it that you (and indeed, others) expect prices to stay stagnant? And if they don't (which basic economics says they won't), it bothers you (and again, others) so much.

Here's the deal people: the economy is getting better. And don't say, "Well, maybe it is for you, 1%er." The market is turning towards the positive. Home prices are going up. Prices are going to start moving in the upwards direction on everything else, including wine. We benefited from an intersting confluence of factors: poor economy + excess grapes. It was marvelous. Prices were excellent across the board. TImes, they are a'changing folks. If you're going to get pissed every time prices go up on something, you might as well have your heart attack now. I, for one, am glad the economy is improving. I also understand that with that improvement is going to come some downsides -- wine costs is certainly one of them.

"If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine." -Rainer Maria Rilke

"Champagne is a very kind and friendly thing on a rainy night." -Isak Dinesen

joed10303

kylemittskus wrote:Aside from the erroneous logic in your argument moondigger pointed out, why is it that you (and indeed, others) expect prices to stay stagnant? And if they don't (which basic economics says they won't), it bothers you (and again, others) so much.

Here's the deal people: the economy is getting better. And don't say, "Well, maybe it is for you, 1%er." The market is turning towards the positive. Home prices are going up. Prices are going to start moving in the upwards direction on everything else, including wine. We benefited from an intersting confluence of factors: poor economy + excess grapes. It was marvelous. Prices were excellent across the board. TImes, they are a'changing folks. If you're going to get pissed every time prices go up on something, you might as well have your heart attack now. I, for one, am glad the economy is improving. I also understand that with that improvement is going to come some downsides -- wine costs is certainly one of them.

If you truly believe that prices have gone up because of the improving economy and NOT because of amazon then i have a bridge in brooklyn that i like to sell you (taxes and shipping NOT inc. in price).

kylemittskus

joed10303 wrote:If you truly believe that prices have gone up because of the improving economy and NOT because of amazon then i have a bridge in brooklyn that i like to sell you (taxes and shipping NOT inc. in price).

Give me an example of an offer that has gone up more than $5 from the previous offer where the winery prices didnt go up also. Ty, for example, has more expensive offers but his prices have gone up also so that increase is completely independent of Amazon's take over.

"If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine." -Rainer Maria Rilke

"Champagne is a very kind and friendly thing on a rainy night." -Isak Dinesen

grapenutz

3 years ago my Trader Joe's had their label 'Napa' Cabernet for $19.99. I believe it was even Stag's Leap District for a time. Now when they have it, it's 'California'. I don't think TJ's is owned by Amazon. It's pretty evident wherever wine is sold. Economics at play.

loveladyelectric

I went by the winery today and had the pleasure of meeting Livi and John. Both were great people to talk to, and John shared a lot of knowledge on Italian varietals with me.

The Sangiovese was nice. It was light, acidic, and had a nice tart cherry flavor with more some gritty tannins and an hint of very green tomatoes or some other fresh vegetables. It was a good wine that had great acidity for pairing with food.

The Nebbiolo was my favorite. It had a great red-orange, diaphanous color. The wine had a slightly less tart cherry flavor, with very gritty tannins and a very dry finish. This is another acidic wine that was made to be paired with food.

I really enjoyed my visit and hope to be back soon. Both of these wines are good, but I especially like the nebbiolo. I need to find more Italian wines.

kylemittskus

loveladyelectric wrote:The Nebbiolo was my favorite. It had a great red-orange, diaphanous color. The wine had a slightly less tart cherry flavor, with very gritty tannins and a very dry finish. This is another acidic wine that was made to be paired with food.

I really enjoyed my visit and hope to be back soon. Both of these wines are good, but I especially like the nebbiolo. I need to find more Italian wines.

Start buying Barolo!!!!

"If drinking is bitter, change yourself to wine." -Rainer Maria Rilke

"Champagne is a very kind and friendly thing on a rainy night." -Isak Dinesen

augustridge2

Only comment I can make... I love Barolos but try to find one you would introduce to your Mother at less than $75 or less than 10 years after you bought it. And even then unless she is a very sophisticated wine drinker she won't like it. Well made Nebbiolo for less than $30 is a CA product (unless you are in Langhe which you are not) and the ARV product is superior to most. My opinion. John, Winemaker, August Ridge

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